Wicked
by awesomenessALWAYSwins
Summary: After Loki's death in the Siege, the Avengers found out about Loki's apprentice and according to some notes he had left behind, she seems to know something...
1. Chapter 1 The Sorcerer's apprentice

Hello, there!

This is my first fan fiction and I've tried my best on making it as awesome as possible so I hope you'll enjoy it. This story is inspired by my love for the musical _Wicked_; because Elphaba reminds me of Loki (she's green!) and Glinda is like Thor, the sparkly perfect blond. There would be some OC but not that much.

So anyway, enjoy! Review, please!

**Chapter 1 – The Sorcerer's apprentice**

It has been a while since the death of Loki. Everything had been a lot quieter than before (except for Doom's frequent antics), especially in Asgard. Though Thor missed his dear brother greatly, he had bigger priorities to be focused on, just as much as the Avengers were busy on their own hectic schedule.

After weeks – or even months – of work, the Stark Tower was rebuilt, returning it to its former glorious structure. The only thing that was different was its "A" logo; it had once said "STARK" but now that the tower was a place where the Avengers could return to, he didn't mind about it at all.

Meanwhile, Clint and Natasha were going on missions all over the world along with their SHIELD comrades; Bruce decided to stay in the US for a while with Tony and Steve in the Stark Tower, while Tony continued his life as a genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist-superhero man.

It all went smoothly (again, expect for Doom's random schemes) until Fury decided to call all the Avengers to head to the SHIELD headquarters immediately.

Tony was as fabulously late as usual, bumping into Clint on the way, "Hey. Long time no see," Tony greeted, "What's Fury up to?"

"I don't know, but he said it was urgent," Clint answered, his face harder than usual, "It's about Loki."

Tony nearly snapped his neck at the sudden mention of the trickster's name. He's not dead? But he was shredded to pieces by the Void – how could that be possible?

"I doubt that he's still a live," It was as if Clint had read Tony's mind.

"He could have reincarnated himself, you know. He was, after all, a kick-ass sorcerer."

"Yeah, no doubt..."

As they both barged into the meeting room, glares met Tony's form immediately. They had heard about Clint's mission in India and as for Tony... he was just playing his usual self. The two men seated themselves at the empty seats nearest to Fury – they could sense that everyone had avoided the two seats to get a good distance from Fury. Great, now Tony could spend the whole time starring at his disturbing eye patch and feel his breath on his face. Wonderful!

Dropping the sharp stare, Fury proceeded on explaining the situation, "As you may all know, the God of Mischief was dead not long ago," Fury's voice said it in a matter-of-fact way, not pleasing Thor in any way, "We've recently found Loki's base, where he stored his spell books and other secret information. And then we found this."

Fury displayed a crumpled piece of notebook paper with something written on it in scribble-like handwriting. Fury began reading it out loud, his voice loud and clear, "_If you're looking for information, contact Eureka Sia. She knows everything._"

"Looks like he trolled with us again," Tony remarked.

"Any ideas who this person might be?" Steve questioned.

Fury dismissed Tony's remark and answered Steve, "We have sent agents all over the world. This girl, Eureka Sia, apparently lives near the area so we don't have to go around the world for her. There is also something about her that might intrigue you all."

Another picture was produced from Fury's sleeve and was tossed into the centre of the glass table. It was a picture of the mysterious girl they had encountered a few times before – the lady in the picture had been running errands throughout the area, catching criminals and getting rid of thugs, just the small stuff. The Avengers were also aware of her mysterious power, which Thor pointed out to be Asgardian magic. Whenever an act happened, she seemed to always help the Avengers attack the enemies from a place no one could detect, probably cloaking herself in invisibility spell or something. Though they didn't consider her a threat, SHIELD had been fussing over her identity for quite a while, which irked the SHILED agents, as they didn't see the point of getting suspicious over someone who clearly was supporting them. The group of superheroes looked up at his with the same look. Surely she's not...

"Yes," Fury said slowly, "This is her."

Waking up before your alarm set off was the weirdest thing to do. What's the point on setting the alarm, then? But whenever you forgot to set it, you'll wake up after Armageddon, which annoyed Eureka to no end. Glancing at the clock, she lifted herself off the bed slowly – it was still thirty minutes too early for her to get up, anyway. Actually, she wanted to skip school – or rather, _quit_ school – because of those pampered rich kids and their snarky comments about her. Luckily, she was able to pay back every evening as a shadowy figure.

It was the day of her science exam so she spent the extra thirty minutes revising for the test, double checking on some points and scribbling down notes in her mind. After revision time was up, she took a quick shower and made herself egg and toast, savouring the plate whilst watching the morning news.

Nothing seemed interesting enough – it was the same cases everytime, like robbery, murder, missing people and other things. She also hardly heard any news from Dr. Doom; probably because he was too busy planning for his next move.

Locking the door behind her, she set off to school in her usual pace, greeting every neighbours with a fake smile and half-hearted greetings which surprisingly won the people's heart. A chilly breeze swept her long dark hair, swiping the mass of silky threads into a spiral. Her bright green eyes eyed the peach walls of the school, and then to the group of flashy teenagers near the school gate.

She didn't feel like getting a mud treatment or sores on her knees that day so she took the liberty of teleporting herself behind the bushes over the gothic gate. From there, she walked casually up the stairs and into the crowded corridors. It was a good thing she had done this – she didn't have to get egg bath in the corridors since the inhumanly annoying group was guarding the front gate.

When she walked up her locker, a familiar voice called up to her, "Euri!"

Eureka turned to see a small framed, ginger-haired boy with thick-rimmed glasses. He was slightly shorter than her, his youthful appearance could be compared with a doll. He was wearing light yellow pullover and light brown pants. His bag was hanging securely on his left shoulder, his hands resting on the bag. Eureka greeted him casually, "Morning, Ginger."

It was only a pet name for the boy – his real name was Armada, a name he held pride in. Since they had been friends for like, forever, he didn't mind the embarrassing nickname. The boy smiled, "Studied for the test?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Got extra time this morning," Eureka answered while storing her books into the metal locker. After done sorting books out, she turned to look at the boy and smiled her usual smirk, "Did you?"

"Of course, I did!"

"Well, even if you didn't, you could still cheat with your powers," Eureka pointed out as the two of them walked down the corridor to their class.

"Oh, Euri," Armada sighed, "You know I'd rather get Ds than use my powers for unfairness. I bet that's what you'll actually do." Though he said this, he knew she'd never do it either.

As the bell rang noisily in the background, the two continued to talk until they've settled into their classroom, ready to take the test first thing in the morning.

The day passed like it was nothing. Eureka had avoided the nuisance successfully throughout during the school premises, thus escaping the school unscathed. Straight after school, she went to the theatre to rehearse for the school play, Wicked. She had read the book and watched the Broadway, and she was determined to act out Elphaba, her favourite character. Ever since she won the part, she couldn't shake off the feeling of anticipation for the nearing show.

As she entered the building, she expected to see the props group painting the background and fixing costumes, while the head of the drama club fussing over people's imperfect acting. Instead, she was greeted by unfamiliar silence, something she hated dearly.

"Hello?" she called out. No one answered. The head of the club specifically said that there was going to be practice that afternoon and she even told her boss at her work place that she'll be taking a day off that day. Could something have happened and they have yet to confirm it to her? Something felt off... but what?

Suddenly, the great doors of the theatre closed with a loud bang, trapping the dark-haired girl inside the empty performance hall. She ran towards the door and tried to jerk it open, but to no avail. She even tried to teleport herself outside but a great force seemed to have surrounded the whole area, restricting her to use her powers. "This is... Asgardian magic?"

"I am surprised you know about Asgardian magic," Eureka turned around to see a great man with long flowing golden hair and a dangerously big hammer in his hand, "Though I'm not that good at it, the barrier could distract your mind, making you unable to use your abilities, magic or supernatural power."

"You could've just met me in a normal way, you know," she said, observing the man carefully.

"Yes, but considering your position, I chose to be cautious," the man replied. What was he talking about?

As the man edged closer to her, Eureka tried to focus her mind on something that could let her escape the situation. She hadn't expected him to just jump out on her with some creepy tricks. The man said that she can't use her powers or magic, and she doesn't have anyone she could call to help her. This was the first time in a while that she had felt so threatened, so weak, so helpless.

"What do you want from me?" Eureka asked in a calm voice. The man stopped and looked at her straight in the eyes.

"I am Thor, God of Thunder," he started, though his words left Eureka dumbfounded, "I have come to take you to the Fury. We suspect you to have a connection with the God of Mischief, Loki, and because of that, you will have to explain yourself –"

"Wait, wait, wait – what?" Eureka couldn't take everything at once, "So you're saying that I have to meet your boss just because I've met that _dude_ before?"

"Yes."

Eureka's expression was unreadable but judging from her response, it was clear that she's plotting something, "Okay, sure. I'll go."

Thor eyed her suspiciously, "... What are you plotting, Eureka Sia?"

"What? Nothing," Eureka said innocently, "I just want to kill some time, you know. The practice is cancelled and I can't go to my work place – I called the boss that I can't come today and he has probably found a replacement. I live alone at home and I've finished all of my homework at school so I have pretty much nothing to do."

Thor's expression didn't ease, "You sound like..." but he didn't get to finish the sentence. After a while, he finally decided to capture the idle girl, "Very well. If you try to cause trouble, you'll face consequences."

"Yeah, yeah. Like I'd do anything to worsen my reputation..."

"What?"

"Nothing," Eureka smiled. And so the God of Thunder escorted her to the SHIELD headquarters, thoughts of melancholy passing through his head... _It can't be_...


	2. Chapter 2 Somebody that I used to know

As you all might know (or definitely know), finals are, like, two weeks away from now on. I might post the chapters later than usual so pardon me if I do. Also, I don't have an editor so there could be some mistakes in the story but I'll try my best to make it as perfect as possible.

So here's the second chapter! Review, please!

**Chapter 2 – Somebody that I used to know**

As they walk down the corridors, men and women stared and whispered comments to each other, not knowing that Eureka could her them loud and clear. But she didn't mind – she's used to the nasty comments and unfair judgements by others. Thor, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the watching eyes, as if they were meld with the light grey metal walls.

They had been walking for some time and Eureka began to think that Thor might be lost or something. She had obediently followed Thor's instructions and didn't give up a fight when she's forced to do something she doesn't like; like having two strangers sticking around you at all times. Luckily enough, the two men stopped bothering her as soon as they reached the headquarters.

As much as she liked silence and solitude, silence with Thor was just a big mistake. The whole trip was awkward and alien – she wished she just allow herself to drown in boredom instead of getting muddled up with the weird "god". _Thor_... that was a name Loki mentioned before, saying that he hated that man but now that she remembered it, Loki didn't sound or act as if he hated him. Eureka smiled that the flash of memory, finally relaxing a bit.

Thor had caught her earlier expression but turned away quickly, "What seem to have made you laugh?"

"Hmm? Oh, I just remembered something... funny," she bit back the urge to giggle at Loki's denying when she said that he's actually a caring little brother. Her reply didn't seem to satisfy Thor but he let it fly over his head.

Just when she thought that they had arrived at the room they were supposed to be at, they bumped into Tony who was just strolling up and down the corridor, not knowing what to do while he waits for the meeting to continue. He caught sight of Eureka and looked at her with curiosity, "Is this the girl?"

Thor nodded, "Yes."

"Hey," Eureka greeted, smiling innocently, "I'm Eureka Sia."

Tony looked at her for a while. Her attitude was similar to someone he knew, but who? The way she spoke was obviously a mask to hide her true feelings and such, just like how a _certain someone_ used to do when trying to hide something.

"... Yeah, nice to know," Tony said carefully, still scanning the young lady. Eureka didn't have the chance to start a conversation, as a man named Nick Fury – seriously, his eye patch is really eye-catching! – arrived at the same moment and had announced that the meeting had started once again.

Once Eureka had stepped into the room, everyone seemed to look at her with distrust. She could've sworn that she felt someone sending off killing vibes, making her shift from foot to foot. Thor took his seat next to Bruce, leaving Eureka to stand alone at the doorway, trying to keep the composure on her face.

"Please have a seat, Ms. Sia," Fury said politely. Eureka then noticed a chair in front of her – at the end of the table, just like how Fury's chair was positioned – and sat on the chair, giving glances back at those who stared.

The room was quiet, unlike the corridor which was imposed by unpleasant whispers and hundreds of eyes. Right, she was the one who wanted to come so she needed to look like she's happy to be there. However, she couldn't bring herself to fake another smile because that would not fit the tense atmosphere. Even though she's not considered a criminal, the way the others look at her made her feel like she was.

Finally, she couldn't help but voice out her discomfort, "Umm, can you please not stare at me that much, because it's really not that pleasant." Immediately, the watching eyes retreated to look at something else – the quick response was somehow forced and unwilling, like they still wanted to look.

Fury was talking over a monitor, discussing about something Eureka had no idea about. After he had finished, he turned his attention to Eureka, who was now resting her head on her hand, drawing patterns on the table, "I am very sorry for the sudden request, Ms. Sia," at the mention of her name, eureka looked up and sat up straight, "But we need to get some bits of information out of you."

"Oh my god, if it's about the bag I stole, I swear I've out it back in Marissa's locker," Eureka blurted out suddenly.

"You stole a bag?"

"... You're not Marissa's dad?"

"Umm, who's Marissa?" Tony arched an eyebrow.

"Oh... never mind, then," Eureka said, "And don't tell anyone about that; it's actually taboo around... only me, actually," she quickly added.

"Back to our conversation," Fury reminded them, "We actually want to get information about Loki." Eureka couldn't stop herself from flinching at the name. "Sounds familiar?"

"Isn't he dead?" Eureka asked, though she wished she hadn't.

"Yes, he is. However, we had recently raided his base and found a note saying that you know something."

"... You raided his home?"

Fury looked confused at Eureka's sudden change of tone, suddenly becoming serious. Then he said, "Yes, we did."

Eureka stayed silent, eyes fixated on the table. The Avengers observed her – Clint and Natasha went on standby in case she decided to attack. She didn't. She sat there quietly. Her clenched fists began to tremble on her lap – whether it was fear or sadness, no one knows. Only Eureka does, and it was definitely _anger_.

_What?_

_What? What? What?_

_Why? How? When?_

_Did they take anything? Did they damage anything?_

_How could they do that? How could they impose his home?_

_Their home..._

Eureka was furious.

But being trained for a good amount of time, she managed to conceal her anger and face the audience with a stoic face. A sudden smirk formed her lips, "Why would you do that?"

Fury continued, "Loki was a very powerful sorcerer, and his death could be faked and we could confirm it if we have the needed information."

"What if he was still alive?" Eureka's voice was icy.

"Then we'll have him as a prisoner."

"Why would you do that?"

"Why?" Fury was not sure where this was going, "Because he's evil."

Eureka's smile dropped. "He's a mad man;" – _He's not_ – "He kills people without intentions;" – _He does have reasons_ – "He is an _inhuman_ and _dangerous_ being –"

A loud _bang_ filled the room. Clint and Natasha were ready to seize the girl but Fury signalled them to back off. A small crater was formed on the glass table, though it was not too damaged to crack. Green orbs pierce through Fury's mind, soon followed by a sly smile.

"And you think it's okay for you?"

"Explain yourself," Fury calmly said.

Eureka leaned back at her chair, legs crossed and fingers laced and rested on her lap, "You know nothing about him," she began, "You just assume that very foreign being is the ultimate enemy for the human being. I'll tell you something good: monsters aren't born – they are created. Maybe if his family and friends aren't such a _prick_," she directed her conversation to Thor now, "he wouldn't have to be some attention-craving monster. After he finally went insane, you just decide to put all the blame on him, telling him that he became the way he was because he chose to do so, when he didn't."

"Be careful of what you speak," Thor warned.

"Says you," Eureka spat, "Someone like you – who's showered with attention and praises all the time, living in the bright side and ignoring the shadow they've casted – won't understand anything. It's so sad for Loki to have someone like you to be his brother; I bet he had a really great time getting compared to someone he knew he could never be. And guess what? That same person just keeps on making him feel like a fish out of water. Your obliviousness is just _amazing!_"

"Do not mention a dead man's name lightly!" Thor howled. Steve grabbed his arm to remind him of his position. Eureka glared at the God of Thunder – now she understood what Loki meant by "having a low boiling point".

Steve turned to Eureka, face firm with control, "Miss, please control yourself. We understand that you might have ac close bond with Loki but there's not need to be overly defensive."

At the lecture, Eureka smiled sweetly, "Aww, that's so sweet." Steve was puzzled.

"What?"

"That's the best thing anyone has ever said to me regarding Loki and I. Thanks for understanding, and sorry for the sudden outburst. I don't actually do that very often but I'm just over protective when it comes to friends and family."

Confusion stirred in the room. At one point, she was a raging bull and after a few words of wisdom, she was a goody-two-shoe again, smiling warmly at everyone. Thor and Steve sat back down, eyes locked on the girl.

A series of knocked interrupted the scene. A woman in SHIELD uniform opened the door carefully, a folder tucked in one arm. "Sir, someone wishes to see Eureka Sia," she announced.

"Who is it?" Fury asked.

"A boy named Armada, sir."

Eureka jerked her head to the woman, shocked at the sudden announcement. "He's here?"

"Who is he?" Bruce asked.

"Can I see him?" Eureka ignored Bruce's question and turned to Fury with pleading eyes, "Please. I don't know how he got here and if he had followed me here, then it must be because he's worried. I could just tell him some things so he won't get suspicious; I promise I won't do anything stupid."

Fury thought about it for a moment before giving the permission to go see Armada, though with the assistance of Steve and the woman. "Thank you, sir!" Eureka said as she went, dark hair swaying with her urge to see her long-time friend.

The place was alien to Armada. He felt smaller than he already was inside the spacious building. He had demanded to see Eureka and a woman had told him to see if she could convince Fury if he could or not. Since there were no waiting areas, he leaned back against a wall next to a potted miniature palm tree.

Earlier, he had witnessed Eureka being taken by a bulky man with golden hair. She didn't show any resistance but it could mean that something happened to her – the last time she was about to get kidnapped, she blasted the van while she was safe, warped up inside a protective bubble. What would they want from her? Does this have anything to do with Loki?

At the sudden thought, Armada felt the urge to resurrect the dead god and kill him one hundred more times before feeding his guts to the pigs. He couldn't forget the time when he had suddenly disappeared and pronounced dead shortly after, leaving Eureka in a lost daze for weeks and weeks. It made his heart break to pieces just watching her torment herself.

As Armada was lost in his train of thoughts, Eureka, Steve and the SHIELD woman were walking towards the lobby. Eureka couldn't help herself hearing her hammering heartbeat. Is Ginger okay? Surely he is, right? It's not he's powerless or anything... Okay, maybe she's a little too overprotective...

Steve glanced at her before starting a friendly conversation, "So, who is this Armada boy?"

Eureka looked up to him, then focused back onto the stairs and corridors, "A friend of mine. We had been together for as long as I could remember. He's more a like a brother than a friend, actually."

"A brother, eh?"

"Yeah. He's really clumsy and defenceless so I have to stick around him often. If I don't, who knows what will happen to him?"

"You're a really caring person, then? To care for your friend like a blood relative, that's admirable!"

"He's an orphan at my dad's orphanage. My dad brings me there often and we used to play a lot."

"Must be nice..." Steve smiled.

Eureka smile back, "Yeah, it was..."

The conversation distracted Eureka from her path. As the group were walking – Eureka and Steve were a few paces behind the woman – Eureka hadn't noticed the bucket of water in her path. As the woman turned to her right, away from the fountain, Eureka tripped over the metal bucket, lost her balance and fell into the fountain, hitting her head hard on the floor. She remembered herself struggling to get air, and Steve and the woman calling her name over and over again. They were shaking her, telling her to "get a grip", but her head felt like a brick had just fallen on it, and everything was a blur and spinning in a vortex of confusion.

Then she heard Armada. "Euri! Are you okay?"

She couldn't remember what's next.


	3. Chapter 3 Living in luxury

Okay, I just want to say that there's going to be cameos of characters from Young Avengers and X-Man in some chapters so look forward to it.

What happens when Eureka hits her head really had when she fell into the fountain? Sorry, I just can't think of anything better to make her stay with the Avengers longer (I'm so clueless!)... :P

But admit it; this way, she gets to be seen as an awesome adventure girl. Want to know what's going to happen? Then read!

Enjoy!

**Chapter 3 – Living in luxury**

_A raven-haired man sat on an antique chair, overlooking the deserted scenery from the oak window. The breeze swept his locks, as well as the white, translucent curtains, making his angled face seem softer. She approached the man slowly, worry drowning her every second._

"_Loki... what's wrong?"_

_The man turned to look at her. His green eyes didn't match his smile – they were too sad to match the curved lips. Though he tried to look normal, she knew that something was wrong, that something was happening._

"_Loki, are you okay? You don't look good."_

_The man's mouth moved as if he was talking, but all she could hear was the cool breeze and her voice._

"_What? I can't hear you! What are you saying?"_

_But before she could reach out to grab the man's hand, a force pulled her back into the shadows. From the distance, she could see the man still sitting there, smiling sadly as she was pulled further away. Slowly and painfully, the man became less visible and became nothing more of a speck. Everything was dark; everything was cold._

"Euri! Maroon 5 is performing in the lobby right now!"

Eureka's eyes snapped open and she instantly sat up. "Where?" A few moments later, a bell rang in her head. "Oh, they're not actually here, are they?"

She was sitting under a soft white blanket, on a bed, in a room of what seemed to be hospital room. A group of flashy men – and a woman in suit – stood around the bed, eyeing her every movement. She suddenly remembered where she had been, the conversation in the meeting room, and then the bucket... It was embarrassing.

"Guys, I know what happened was really stupid but please don't stare," she said, touching the bump on her head.

Just the slightest brush made her flinch in pain – she really hit her head hard this time. There were times when people had tried to knock her unconscious but she had survived because she had casted a protection spell all over her the moment she sensed something was coming. This time, she was distracted with the conversation that she didn't see the bucket of water in her way, and was too shocked to cast her spell before the impact.

Eureka turned to Steve, who looked uncomfortable, probably guilty about the whole fountain thing. "Did you carry me here?"

Steve caught her eyes, "Ah, yes."

"Thanks."

"No, it's my fault," Steve sighed apologetically, "I distracted you from what's in front of you and things got messy..."

"No, no. It's my fault, too," Eureka smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah, it's great you're okay," Tony interrupted, "But we still don't know if what's in your head is okay."

"Euri," Armada tugged at her sleeve. She had noticed that someone changed her soaked clothes to hospital pyjamas, "You haven't lost you memories, have you? Do you know me?"

Eureka looked Armada, eyes full of playful murder intent. In a blink of an eye, Eureka pulled her pillow beneath her and whacked the soul out of Armada, who had crouched low. "Why. Are. You. Here?" she demanded an answer.

Still hitting the boy, she slowly stood up and whacked with all of her strength. "You know how dangerous this place is? You want to die, eh? Just how stupid can you get? You damn Gingerbread!" She heard Armada's cries of sorry. Eureka stopped abruptly, her vision starting to spin again.

She slumped onto the bed, one hand clutching a handful of hair. Armada approached her immediately, worry painting his face. "Euri, are you okay? You shouldn't overwork yourself right after you wake up from an injury."

"Shut up," she hid her face behind her arms, trying to get rid of the spinning mad house, "You could've gone out worse than me..."

"Sorry to interrupt but," Clint suddenly said, "We need to know if you still have a healthy mind, if you know what I mean." Eureka peeped through her arms and nodded weakly. "So, do you still remember Loki?"

The dark-haired girl wrinkled her nose as she tried to make sense of Clint's words. "I remember," she started slowly and carefully, "I was talking about him in the room... but that's it; I don't remember anything else."

She heard Fury grunt in distress, Tony throwing back his arm in a "Great! This is going so well!" sarcastic way. Everyone looked defeated, except for Steve, who looked ever so concerned, Bruce, who looked indifferent (somehow), and Thor, who looked like he was about to smother her to death with the scary biceps. Note to self: guys with muscles are the scariest.

Everyone took their own time recovering from the sudden arrow of disappointment. Fury was the first to speak. "Right. In her time to recover her memories," he talked to every Avenger in the room with a commanding voice, "we need her in our watch. Meaning, we have to keep a close eye on her. As soon as you get information from her, report it back to me, A.S.A.P."

"What? So now I have stalkers?" Eureka asked, confused, "You won't watch me shower, right? Not even the woman, right? Because that's just disturbing."

"No, we obviously won't do that," Natasha reassured her.

"However," Fury added, "We will escort you to and from school, and you'll be staying in the Stark Tower for the time being."

"What? You didn't get my confirmation!" Tony protested.

"Well this is an order so you'll just have to say 'yes'."

"I disagree." Everyone turned to look at Armada. "I don't think I could trust her to you all. We don't even know your identity, reputation and a proof that you're worthy to be a guardian for an underage."

"Don't say underage! How many times do I have to tell you to say 'pre-adult'?" Eureka sighed, frustrated.

"Okay, then," Tony casually accepted Armada's request, "I'm Tony Stark, awesome genius, billionaire and philanthropist, and also known as Iron Man –"

"Don't forget pla –" Clint had never got to finish his sentence, as Tony dug his elbow into his stomach.

"Anyway, this guy's Clint Barton, awesome agent-archer, and his soul mate, Natasha Romanoff – also an agent but deadlier, in a more feminine way. But she's still a woman so she has a soft side, hopefully." Natasha glared at Tony warningly but Tony shrugged it off as quickly as she did it. "That guy is Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America." Steve managed a small wave to Eureka. "Huge guy is Thor, the God of Thunder and other Asgardian stuff. The even bigger guy – but he's not right now – is Bruce Banner, or just call him Hulk or something. And last but not least, our boss, Nick Fury." Fury nodded in a welcoming way.

Okay, so the introduction didn't seem to help. Armada got even more suspicious – he can't let his friend in the care of a group of deadly men in ridiculous costumes (even though Steve wasn't in his Captain costume, Armada had seen his suit before), while one had a big-ass hammer and the other bow and arrow.

Eureka touched his arm softly. "Just let them do whatever they want," she said in a low voice, "They won't stop until they get what they want. Besides, you could still visit me sometimes. And walk to school; well, that is, with some huge guy following us."

Armada looked at her, knowing that once she had set her mind on something, it's a bad thing to try to change her ways – she's stubborn, but in a good way. "Fine," he puffed out a sigh, pouting with slight disagreement. "By the way, I'm Armada, or call me Ginger, as Euri prefers it."

The green eyed girl grinned turned to Fury, "There, you got his approval!"

"What about your parents?" Bruce asked curiously.

"My dad's vanished to somewhere in the universe and my mum's in the hospital battling herself. I visit my mum sometimes, but I haven't seen my dad in, like, ten years. I live alone, just so you know," she added quickly. She then noticed the atmosphere darkening at the truth about her family issues, but she dismissed it soon, "But Ginger checks on me daily, and I stay over at his house sometimes. His dad is a real chef!"

The air softened a bit at Eureka's quick comment. "So," Fury turned to everyone in the room, "We should get going."

* * *

They had stopped at Eureka's run-down house to get things and a fair amount of clothes. Her neighbour was worried for the sudden imposing of the flashy Stark luxurious car but Eureka had reassured her that it's someone she knows, and that she'll be away for some time. After saying some goodbyes, the car drove Eureka, Armada and Tony to the Stark Tower, the building Eureka had once watched every night before going to sleep.

The trip to the tower was pleasant. Armada seemed to get along well with Tony, despite their earlier disagreement about the custody over Eureka. She listened to their conversation switch from subject to subject, refusing to settle on one thing at a time; Eureka started to think that they're chattier and noisier than a group of wrinkly old ladies gathering for a tea. Eureka had stared out the window, thoughts racing in her head. When Tony and Armada decided to settle down, Eureka talked telepathically to her best friend.

"You talk more than you would," she thought, still looking out the window.

"Hey, don't blame me! This guy's not that bad," Armada replied, watching the DVD Tony played for them to watch.

"Get close to him and I'll make sure you're locked up in a dungeon for the rest of your life."

"Don't be too harsh. Why are you so possessive, anyway?"

"... You know why..."

Armada turned to Eureka, who was in daze, "I do, but you need to at least get some of it out of your head. You're killing yourself." Eureka turned to look at Armada square in the eyes.

"And you know I can't just do that."

Armada sighed mentally, "Anyway, what about memories of Loki?"

"I still don't remember the important bits," Eureka explained, "I only remember the embarrassing moments, the fun times and the shared sadness, but nothing about important information like secret documents or something. I can still remember the things he taught me, spells and spear techniques, and that's the only important bit I know."

Eureka shifted to make herself more comfortable while talking to Armada. "Ginger, I just... it's like there's some missing bits in between whenever I get to the part when Loki's trying to tell me something. He looked so sad, so lonely. I didn't know what to do. I reached out to him but something's pulling me back." She felt a lump in her throat but her probably shaky voice was not heard mentally. "I was really scared. He looked like how mum used to look like whenever she talks about dad and... It's just heartbreaking to look at."

The ginger-haired could only nodded in acknowledgement.

When the trio had arrived at the Stark Tower, the two teenagers couldn't stop the adrenaline racing in their bloodstream, making them look at every object in awe. Since they've lived their lives in gloomy areas of the urban life, they've never seen such high-tech household objects. Tony had let Armada stay for dinner, then he got Happy (his driver, apparently) to drive him back to his house.

Eureka was watching the panorama of the night sky when Tony walked in with a beer in one hand. "You like the view?" he asked, sipping from the can.

"Better than the rotting garden back at home," Eureka replied.

"Your room's been made; it's the second one on the right. You have school tomorrow?"

Eureka shook her head, "No. Tomorrow's Sunday."

"Oh, yeah – right. Which reminds me," Tony continued, "what are your superpowers?"

"Hmm... Some psychic powers, generating electricity and magic," she said, "I was aware of my teleportation, telepathy and telekinesis, and my magic afterwards. But I remember having Loki teaching me more advanced forms of magic and some spear tricks – the magic I used to know was only illusions and mind tricks."

"Cool," Tony said simply.

"What are we going to do tomorrow?"

Tony paused for a moment before smirking. He then called the air for something Eureka had never expected, "Jarvis, contact the other members – we have training tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4 Oil the joints, to loosen up

Right – training. I've been meaning to reveal Eureka's powers in an awesome way but I just came up with training. Genius! Then I'll just have to make it an epic training with the Avengers.

Also, there's an upcoming Young Avengers fanfic by me! Just wait for it – it'll come sooner or later. Anyways, enjoy!

**Chapter 4 – Oil the joints, to loosen up**

"It's been a while since I've exercised so..." Eureka said while braiding her hair, bored to death. She gave a deep sigh, "When are they coming?"

"They should be here any moment now," Tony said, checking the time on the wall clock, "Cap and Bruce went to get some of them. I bet they're sneaking away right now."

Tony had arranged a training session to see Eureka's abilities and limits. Eureka hadn't thought about moving around too much for the past weeks, and the only time she's used her powers was when catching robbers or beating thugs into a pulp without getting noticed. The girl unravelled the braid she made and fiddled with the ends of her dark brown hair.

She has never been a fan of waiting and would avoid doing it, but when she had no choice, she would fiddle around with something to entertain herself or just put on a poker face. She had tried to convince Armada to come to the training session but he had declined the offer, claiming to have "business" to do and accusing her of belittling him in front of the Avengers as soon as he arrives. Truthfully, it was kind of true – she just loves making the ones she held dear suffer but wouldn't let others treat them like mercilessly.

While waiting, Tony was checking up on work and his Iron Man suit. He had his eyes fixed on the hologram screen, oblivious to the fact that Eureka was also looking at his blueprints and documents. Luckily for him, Eureka found this uninteresting and was soon back to playing with threads of silky material (A.K.A.: her hair).

Not long after, she found fiddling with her hair was worse than being idle. She looked around the vast training ground, punching bags dangling from chains and the spare sand bags stacked at the farthest wall. There was a rack full of practice weapons; blunt spears, bo staffs, wooden swords and shields, as well as a few pair of nunchaku and other things in between. The sandy coloured wooden floor and the cream coloured walls gave off a warm feeling, giving encouragement to those who trained, thought Eureka.

At the farthest shelf of equipments, she noticed something that seemed to be entirely out of place: a Rubik's Cube. Curious, she approached the shelf to take a look at the alienated object. The colours were mixed up and the sides weren't lined up neatly, meaning that someone might've tried to solve it but decided to give up.

Taking up the challenge, she twisted and turned the rows of colours, her brain working automatically.

She had played with the Rubik's Cube many times before during her childhood and had become accustomed to it, achieving a record of solving it in a duration of one minute. She had to do it faster but the time she spent on the cube grew less as her father's debt kept on coming from every places known, ranging from Kenya to Russia, and even the Middle East.

Though she resented her father for leaving her and her mother, she couldn't possibly hate him, as he was still her father. Even if she had to give up her life as a teenage girl, taking care of her mentally-ill mother and paying off debts, she could cope with it somehow. There were friends who supported her, friends like Ginger, Tao – Armada's adoptive brother – and his foster family... and Loki, of course.

As soon as she finished solving the cube, she looked at it with pride, smiling at her effort. "Nice one you got there."

Eureka turned to look at Tony, who seemed to have been observing her all this time. "You solved that thing in less than a minute. You have a gift!"

Eureka laughed at the idea, "Nah, I'm no genius like you; I have to study hard to maintain my scholarship. I know how to solve this thing because I've been playing it my whole childhood."

"What kind of kid would be interested in Rubik's Cube so much?"

Eureka shrugged, "Dunno. A mad scientist's daughter, I guess."

"Which reminds me," Tony said, "The name 'Sia' sounds somehow familiar. Care to tell who it might be?"

"Ernst Sia," Eureka said absently. Tony's head found something. "Sounds familiar?"

"That's your dad?" Tony's face was full of admiration, "Seriously? That guy's amazing! He founded the Sia Project where they made super humans and stuff. You must be proud to have someone like him as your father."

"Sure I am," Eureka replied, sarcasm clear in her voice, "He only cares about his work and dare to leave us for some other woman and blame all his faults on us. Even after he's gone, he still leaves trails of borrowed money and who's going to pay them off? Me, who else? Day after day, mum's getting sicker and sicker, and the authorities had to take her away, but I still see her often. Surprisingly, he favoured the new woman and her child more than he had favoured my mum and I. School is the worst; everyone calls me the 'Murderer's Daughter' or a 'Witch' and would badmouth my family. Sometimes, they even pull pranks and –"

She stopped, realising that she had just blurted out everything. "Please don't tell me that I've just said something unnecessary."

"No, not at all. Sometimes it's good to talk about it with someone rather than keeping the feelings pent up." Tony closed his hologram screen and looked elsewhere, "But it could be troubling to have lots of audience to listen to your ranting."

Realising what this meant, Eureka looked at the entrance to find the Avengers gathered, ready for action. The dark haired girl felt herself blush. She went over to grab a spear, changing the subject. "Who's ready?" she said in a rush, long bangs hiding her emerald green eyes.

"I am," Thor stepped forward, bulky figure standing tall and proud.

"Anyone else?" Eureka asked, turning to the others.

"Do not run away, Eureka Sia," Thor boomed, "Spare with me fair and square."

"Seriously? You're trying to kill me first thing in the morning?"

"Prepare yourself, child," Thor ignored Eureka's comment, readying to strike, a practice sword in one hand.

Eureka sighed, blowing her bangs upwards. The audience positioned themselves as far away as possible, fully aware of Thor's fighting habits. Clint and Tony had signalled a "We're betting on you" and "We've got your back" signs – that obviously didn't help at all.

The girl shifted her attention to the thunder god. "When you're ready," she offered.

Instantly, she saw a flash of lightning and found Thor charging towards her, eyes full of battle passion. Eureka avoided the charge just barely and blocked a strike with her spear.

Soon, she attacked the blond with strong spear thrusts and other skilful techniques. Although it had been a while, she still got the hang of it. The two danced around the room, engrossed in attacking and blocking, not dodging – even though Eureka was trained by Loki, she still followed some of her own laws, and number one was to fight like a warrior, like what Thor's doing.

Moments later, Thor snapped the spear in half, leaving Eureka unarmed. Instead of grabbing another weapon, she resolved on fighting hand-to-hand, surprising everyone. In Eureka's opinion, using weapons was riskier than using a large amount of magic.

Thor was open so she proceeded on landing a punch upon him. Unfortunately, he redirected her fist, which met the floor instead, breaking the wooden planks and forming a crater. Splinters flew in all direction but Eureka ignored them; she threw a falling-axe kick at Thor which missed a few good inches from his face and formed another crater on the ground. The round-house kick which followed after hit him on the side, which sent him flying towards the audience. Fortunately, he was a few feet away, leaving the others unharmed.

The others watched open mouthed, at Thor, Eureka and the two craters. Was it impossible for a body as slender as hers to contain immense strength? Moreover, she managed to knock Thor down unarmed! She must be insane!

"What was that? Super strength?" Bruce asked eyes wide with shock.

Eureka smirked, "Nope; it's magic."

* * *

"Sorry, I got carried away," Eureka apologised as she handed Thor a bottle of water. The training room was damaged and so they moved to another one, bigger than the previous. Tony had to take all the blame for the damage and Eureka had apologised – and thanked – the man in gratitude, no sign of guilt. Tony had dropped his annoyed mask as soon as Eureka apologised and thanked him, saying that he was the one who suggested training, anyway.

While the others spar each other, Thor and Eureka stayed outside, getting a fair amount of rest. Thor accepted the bottle and smiled at the girl. "Thank you," Thor said. He took a mouthful of water and gulped it down within seconds. Eureka went and sat next to Thor, resting her head on the wall and stretched her legs across the floor.

There was a silence before Thor broke it, voice booming, "How did you do it?"

Eureka turned to look at Thor, "Do what?"

"That punch. You said it was magic, but how?"

"Oh," Eureka exclaimed, "Well, you put a good amount of magic to your fists and feet before striking. Then, you release it at the right moment to boost your kicks and punches. It has to be at the right time, though; otherwise it'll go really badly."

"Impressive," the blond praised, "Did Loki taught you that?"

"Yeah," Eureka replied, starting to fiddle with her hair, "And the spear techniques, too. But he didn't teach me the hand-to-hand tactics – a friend of mine did. He also taught me how to do the same with other objects, not just with my body."

"Is magic your only specialty?"

"No. I can use psychic powers, teleportation and generating electricity."

"Electricity? How?"

"Dunno," Eureka held up her hands. Blue sparks danced along her elegant fingers, leaping from one finger to another, "My dad said that it's the brain activity or something. You're the god of thunder, right? How do you control them?"

Thor leaned back against the wall, relaxing a lot more, "Well, it is a wonder of gods. I cannot explain very clearly."

"Oh, ok."

Eureka took her time before finally asking a question she had always thought about ever since meeting Thor, "Hey, Thor."

Thor turned to her, "Yes?"

"What's your hammer's name again?"

"Mjolnir."

"Myew-what?" Eureka tried to pronounce the name but to no avail.

"Mjolnir." Thor repeated.

"Myownee?"

"It's Mjolnir."

"Myol-neer?"

"More or less, yes."

"Oh, okay. Nice hair, by the way."

Not sure of how to respond, Thor a quick glance before resting his head back again. "Thanks, I guess."

Eureka then spent the rest of her time in the corridors chanting Mjolnir's name over and over again. "Myol-neer, Myol-neer, Myol-neer..."

* * *

At the Stark Tower, after the training, Eureka had made herself a nice warm cup of tea to ease her mind. She stirred the tea with telekinesis, moving the spoon mentally, while she read a collection of Brothers Grimm fairy tales. She had read the book over and over again – she started reading the stories from an early age. Her kindergarten teachers had told her the dreamy stories of Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and other pleasant tales. What she didn't know was the true origin and plotline of the tales, so her father bought her the book as a present for her fifth birthday.

The book was written in simple English so Eureka could understand it. "Don't listen to those false stories," her father had said, "They're just tricking you. The things written in the book is what's really happened in the story..."

It's true that the fairy tales weren't as sparkly as children had heard of and that made Eureka realise that people conceal the truth to make people believe in something they want them to believe in. As far as she could remember, Eureka hated being controlled. But she could never say a word against her father or mother; they were the only she cared about, though the real reason she listened to her father was because she was afraid of him.

"Hey," Tony greeted, sitting at the chair opposite of Eureka.

Eureka looked up and gave a small smile before going back to her book.

Tony tried to peek at the contents of the book, "What are you reading?"

"Brothers Grimm fairy tales," she replied.

"What's it like?"

"Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and other things."

"I don't see how that's interesting."

"Have you heard of Sleeping Beauty?"

"Well yeah," Tony was confused, "It's this princess who sleeps for ages and finally wakes up when the prince kissed her."

Eureka put her book down, stopped stirring and looked at Tony, "okay, I've had this book for twelve years now and there's no such thing as 'woken up by Prince Charming's kiss'. Actually, this is what happened –"

Eureka whispered the whole story into Tony's ear. He was somehow horrified at the true story, and the fact that Eureka knew this ever since she was a kid. "You're twisted," he finally said.

"I get that a lot," she admitted.

"Anyhow," Tony changed the subject, trying to get the horrifying story out of his head, "When you were out there ambushing thugs and stuff, do you go by a codename?"

"No, why?" Eureka took a sip from her cup of tea. Tony was surprised to know that she had brought her own pack of dried tea leaves.

"Well, every superhero has a codename, like Iron Man."

"Thor doesn't," Eureka pointed out.

"That's because it already sounds epic."

"Well, should I get one?"

"It'll be cooler if you did."

Eureka thought about it for a moment before returning a smile full of ideas. "Awesome. It'll do that."

Tony grinned in return, "So what's on your mind?"

Eureka looked at the pool of red tea, remembering the school play she was currently in.

_Wicked._

_Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West._

Her mind was then set on her character's name. "Elphaba," she smiled wickedly, "The Wicked Witch."


	5. Chapter 5 Elphaba, the Wicked ? Witch

Back to school, Eureka! Who knows what's going to happen? Well, there are some good times and bad times, and this is going to be a mixture of the two. This is also going to be the beginning of Eureka's entrance into the battlefield.

There's a little surprise waiting...!

**Chapter 5 – Elphaba, the Wicked Witch**

After a quick shower, Eureka slid into her school clothes – a light blue blouse and beige pants that stopped below her knees, simple white socks and her only-for-school shoes. She had packed her books into her messenger bag and was reading through her script – for Wicked – before exiting her bedroom for breakfast.

Tony, Steve and Bruce were eating a plate of eggs and bacon, while Tony was inhaling his coffee as he watched the morning news on the hologram T.V. Eureka sat down at the spot with the plate of breakfast and savoured her food, every bite meaning a mouthful of luxury to her.

As soon as she finished, she went over to the windows and looked across the city while punching the speed dial to call Armada. The other line picked up almost immediately.

"Hello? Euri?" Armada's voice beamed with happiness.

"Hey, coming to school together?"

"I'd love to but Tao has something to do early with the drama club – you're not included, though – and I have to come with him, to help with some stuff."

"Bummer," Eureka flat-out sulked, "Because it'd be disastrous if _they_ saw me alone. I'd be like a zebra on a sidewalk – the lions will jump right at me."

"You have the superheroes with you, right? You'll be fine, I suppose."

Eureka looked back at the three men, too occupied on something to notice her. "Yeah but it's not like they're going to walk me over to my class."

Armada chuckled, "Fine. I'll pick you up at the gate as soon as I'm done, 'kay?"

"Okay. See ya, Ginger."

"Bye."

As she hung up, Tony finally uttered a word, "Your friend's not coming?"

"Nah, too busy with something," Eureka replied, "Let's go. I don't want to be late; I have a perfect attendance."

Tony got up slowly, stretching as he walked over to the elevator. "Sure, sure."

The ride to school was quite, except for the songs played on the radio and the faint sound of the engine. Eureka stared out of the window, watching the scenery blur before her, while Tony was busy with his own business – he was on the phone with someone he called "Pepper". Who would have that kind of name? Oh, it could be a nickname...

Tony hung up and slumped into his seat. "So, when do I pick you up?"

"Eight o'clock, at Jukebox Restaurant. It's next to my school," Eureka replied, still staring out the window.

"Eight? Isn't that late? Part-time job?"

"Yeah, after the rehearsal at the theatre."

"What rehearsal?"

"For the school play."

"Musical?" Tony turned to her, eyebrow arched.

"Yeah."

"So you sing well?"

"I guess so... And I also sing at the restaurant; it's part of the job."

"Cool."

As soon as Eureka caught a sight of the school at the corner of her eyes, she told Happy to stop a few paces from the main gate. "The gate's not here," Tony remarked.

"I know," she gathered her things and before closing the door, said a farewell to Tony, "But I'm not fond of what's gathering there."

Eureka walked the rest of the way, making sure Tony hadn't followed her. Surely enough, the car moved in a snail speed, trying its hardest to not get noticed. Eureka pretended to not notice, chuckling at the failed effort. People never listen, she thought to herself.

As she had expected, the gate was swarmed with the Snob Gang (as Eureka likes to call them). It was a group of flies who makes judgement on people and then decides to make their life a living hell in school. Eureka sees no goal in their action, but she was sure it never and never will have one.

She had expected mocks and water balloons as usual, but today was different.

Well, not that different but the target wasn't her. It was Billy Kaplan, her classmate and lab partner. Kessler, one of the group's largest people, was poking him hardly and giving names while another person searched through Billy's messenger bag and after getting his hand on his wallet, Kessler decided to let Billy go. He threw his messenger bag at him and left, laughing like hyenas.

Catching sight of Eureka, the dark haired boy hurriedly walked over to her, smile suddenly forming on his face at the sight of her friend. "Morning, Euri!"

"Why didn't you beat them senseless?" Eureka scrunched up her nose in disagreement, "It's not like you can't throw a few punches of anything." Eureka was aware of his powers, but it looked like he wasn't aware of Eureka's knowledge, so she kept quiet about it.

"I act heroic, Euri. I don't like starting fights," Billy said, "Besides, if I do something, they're going to make it worse."

"Those cowards..." Eureka frowned. Soon, her face turned to Billy, not smiling but it was still friendly, "I'll buy you lunch later. That okay?"

"That's nice, but you don't have to," Billy declined the offer kindly.

"Why? You usually push lots of orders to me."

"Well..." Before he could tell her, a tall blond walked over to them, smiling broadly. Eureka had seen him around Billy often but has no idea who he was or his relationship with Billy. Could it be...?

The blond patted Billy on the shoulder. "Hey, Bee!" He then turned to greet Eureka politely. "Good morning!"

"Who's he?" Eureka asked.

Billy was now blushing like a girl. "Umm... well, my boyfriend..."

Eureka's eyes widened, a grin spreading across her face. "Oh. My. God! Why didn't you tell me! He's hot!"

"Euri!" Billy's face was scarlet. The blond was chuckling at Billy's reaction.

"Hey, big guy! Your name?"

"Teddy Altman," he answered.

"Right, Teddy. You take care of Princess Billy or I'll kill you, 'kay?" Eureka was laughing like an idiot now, and Billy was trying to stop her but failed.

"I will," Teddy's voice was firm and sincere, and Eureka immediately knew she could trust him.

She then patted Billy on the shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile. "Well, the third wheel will go now. If you need any help, just ask!" Billy and Teddy waved her goodbye as they parted ways. While jogging excitedly to the school building, she could see Armada approaching her, looking like he had ran a full course marathon. "What's with you?"

Armada stopped to catch his breath, panting heavily. "I... ran... here... just... as... I... promised!"

"Dude, the theatre's not far from here. How come you look like crap?"

"You know me...!" Armada snapped. Right, Armada has a low stamina to begin with, anyway.

Eureka grabbed his arm and dragged him to the school. "Let's get going then, Gingerbread."

At school that day, there were no sign of the Snob Group and Billy was perfectly safe with Teddy with him. Apparently, Armada was aware of their relationship not long ago and that irked Eureka, since she was much closer to him than Armada was. But deep inside, she was happy for his friend, that he found someone who cares for him. Still... she's jealous, much to the fact that she's single and desperate.

The rehearsal went swiftly, too. Tao – also known as the Spartan Club Leader – was still as loud as ever but the performance was better than before, so no one minded his harsh ways of directing. Even though he was very strict, his methods were proved to be successful and he has a soft side for ladies too, and Eureka respected him for that.

By the time they had finished, it was five o'clock. Eureka headed straight to the restaurant and changed into her uniform. The day was like every day, with customers coming and going, and no complaints, whatsoever. The customers were nice, too. They would always find the time to chat with Eureka, giving her tips or even small presents; they were very fond of her, for her sweet personality (?) and looks.

When the clock strikes eight – which was the end of Eureka's shift – she got ready for the usual night show. She wore the usual stage garment, which was a red dress with black frills and matching ruby slippers (ruby slippers... she felt like Dorothy).

As soon as she got on stage, the audience cheered for her, not wanting to wait her singing voice...

* * *

Tony stopped at the said restaurant, Steve tagging along with him. Bruce had wanted to come too, but Fury had contacted him to investigate something at the laboratory. Steve had heard from Tony that Eureka sings at a restaurant as her part-time job and was at a musical, so he wanted to see her perform.

"Tony, what are you doing?" Steve asked as he saw Tony flirting with some ladies at the street. Tony heard Steve and soon waved the ladies goodbye, leaving them with a name card. Steve glared at Tony, but Tony looked at Steve, confused at what's making the super soldier angry.

"What? They talked to me and I just talked back."

"You gave them your name card," Steve said accusingly.

"Well, yeah. They asked for it."

"Ms. Pott's not going to be happy."

"Tell me how much you want to keep you quite," Tony said as he pulled out his wallet.

Steve rolled his eyes and dragged the brown haired man to the restaurant. They were greeted with the cheers and claps of the customers, who were watching a girl singing soulfully on the stage, accompanied by some background singers and instruments such as drums, piano and a guitar.

Eureka looked happier than ever when on the round stage, smile plastered to her face as opposed to her usual poker face or mischievous smirk she always show around other people. When she finished performing, she took a bow and everybody cheered for her.

Steve and Tony sat down at an empty table. When a waiter approached them, Tony waved him away, not wanting to order anything. "Admit it, she's good." Tony said.

"Yeah, I guess she was," Steve agreed.

Eureka appeared soon at the "Staff Only" door, her messenger bad hanging from her shoulder and her monthly pay check in her hand. She walked over to Steve and Tony, who waved at her. "Been waiting long?" Eureka asked, the same apathetic face as everyone had been used to.

"Not really," Tony answered, "Nice singing, by the way."

"Gee, thanks," Eureka gave a small smile, "Should we go now?"

"Sure," Tony and Steve got up and left the restaurant with Eureka.

Tony went into the car, followed by Steve and lastly by Eureka. But before she could get in, a large hand grabbed her shoulder. She turned around to see the face that she had been expecting: the debt collector.

Eureka's face dropped to a frown. The man was somewhere in his thirties and his head was balding. He wore white tuxedo with a flashy blouse underneath, looking smug and mean with his broad grin on his unshaven face. His pot belly was what disgusted Eureka the most. She had thought about kicking it many times before but never had she done it.

Steve poked his head out the door. "Eureka, what's wrong?"

"I see you got your money now, eh?" the man said, "Care to give it back?"

"Technically, this is not your money," Eureka glared, "And didn't I just pay you last week?"

"Your dad's debt keeps on increasing, dear," the man's laugh was full of greed, "So we just want to get out money back faster, else we run out of it. Understand? Now hand me it!"

Eureka gave a sigh of defeat and just shoved the small manila envelope to the fat man. The man grinned at the sight of money and waved the envelope in farewell. "Drive," Eureka commanded Happy, and he did it immediately.

Steve and Tony looked at her, a mix of confusion and bewilderment. "What the hell was that?" Tony asked incredulously.

"Debt collector," Eureka replied shortly, looking out the window as she would usually do.

"Yeah, but the hell's his attitude?"

"Isn't that what they're supposed to do? Force people to give them their borrowed money?"

"But it's not like you made the debts! Seriously, what's with your dad –"

"Say something about him and you're dead, Tony Stark!" Eureka warned Tony with cold eyes. Tony fell quiet, looking blankly at Eureka, who had retreated to her window once again. "Sorry but even though he's not a good dad, I still respect him. He's still my dad and that's never going to change. Talking bad about him is just the same as talking bad about me, so I'm not doing this for him. Honestly, I bad mouth him in my mind all the time, but never in public."

Steve seemed to understand her feelings. "You're a good girl, Eureka."

"You make me sound like a dog," Eureka said flatly. Steve laughed at the comment.

"That's not what I meant!"

"I know." Eureka felt herself smile.

The ride home was peaceful, with the three of them listening to the radio playing night songs all the way. However, the radio was suddenly interrupted by something unexpected. "We are sorry for the interruption," said the lady, "but we are broadcasting live from New York. A group of robots are invading the city and –"

Before the lady could say more, Tony's car flew into the air, spiralling before stopping a few meters away from where they were.


End file.
